These are by far the best peanut butter cookies I have ever made, and I make a lot of cookies. I always get rave reviews when I serve them. They are really over the top. 2.5 cups all purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) salted butter (I use Cabot only) 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup granulated sugar (I use Florida Crystals Natural Sugar) 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (Jif), at room temp 2 large eggs 2 tsps. vanilla extract (suprisingly, CVS imitation vanilla is excellent) 1 cup roasted salted peanuts Preheat oven to 350. Grind peanuts in food processor until they resemble bread crumbs, about 14 pulses; set aside. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated and then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gently stir dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Add ground peanuts; stir gently until just incorporated. Scoop into balls (I use cookie scoop) with about 1.5 Tbsps. dough per scoop and drop onto parchment about 2 inches apart. Press criss-cross design into the top of each ball using a fork dipped in cold water. Bake 10-12 mins until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges but not on top. Cookies will not look fully baked! Cool on sheet until set, about 5 minutes; transfer to wire rack to cool completely. The ground peanuts add a lot of flavor and surprisingly, do not add grittiness. I don't like peanuts in cookies as a rule, and I don't like crunchy peanut butter, but I love these cookies. When my mom makes them, she likes to make a glaze of powdered sugar with a little milk and a small amount of creamy peanut butter and drizzle it over the finished cooled cookies. If you make them, let me know how you like them.

This is easy as could be and everyone thinks you fussed. From Kraft Foods 1993 pamphlet on Holiday Desserts: One Bowl Chocolate Fudge Ingredients: 2 packages (8 squares each) semi sweet chocolate 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts Microwave chocolate and milk in a large microwavable bowl on high for 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through heating time. Stir in vanilla and walnuts. Spread in greased 8 inch square pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares. Makes 4 dozen Options: Rocky Road Fudge: Add 1 cup miniature marshmallows with vanilla and walnuts. Peanut Butter Fudge: Omit walnuts. Drop 1/2 cup peanut butter by teaspoonfuls on top of fugde. Swirl with knife to mable-ize. Peppermint Fudge: Omit vanilla and walnuts. Stir in 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies. Coconut Walnut Fudge: Add 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted with vanilla and walnuts. Garnish with additional coconut. I've made the regular fudge, the peanut butter chocolate and the peppermint fudge. All have gone over well. I have a brother-in-law that will hunt for the container that I bring to Christmas. He'll eat the entire container himself!

I come from a family of serious peanut butter and chocolate lovers -- in other words, you can never have too much peanut butter and chocolate. I'm not a huge fan, but I do have to say that I really love this particular recipe for a frozen peanut butter pie. From one of my very favorite cookbooks, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, it takes a little extra work, but well worth the effort. The recipe for the fudge sauce is generous and will last beyond the pie (even in my family). Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust Chocolate cookie crust 30 chocolate wafer cookies ( about 6 ounces) 1 tablespoon sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Chocolate bottom 1/2 cup ( 3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup Peanut butter filling 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup creamy peanut butter 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 1/2 cups heavy cream Easy hot fudge sauce 6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped 6 ounces dark chocolate (64% cacao), finely chopped 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup light corn syrup Preparation Chocolate cookie crust In a food processor, grind the cookies to a very fine powder. You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Put the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the sugar. Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture will feel wet. Turn the crumb mixture out into a 9-inch pie plate and press it into the bottom and up the sides. You can use the back of a large spoon to even out the crust. Put the crust in the refrigerator while you make the filling. Peanut butter filling with chocolate bottom Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate in a thin layer on the bottom of the chilled pie crust. Put the crust back in the refrigerator while you make the peanut butter filling. Put the cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined and completely smooth. Set aside. In a clean bowl, use the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Remove the bowl form the mixer and, with a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until the mixture is uniform in color. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and freeze for at least 4 hours. Once the pie is frozen, you can cover it with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 days. Easy Fudge Sauce Place both chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to simmer over medium heat. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and pour over chocolates. Let mixture sit for 2 minutes. Starting at the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture in a circle until completely smooth. The hot fudge sauce, cooled to room temperature and covered tightly, will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. Rewarm the sauce in a microwave oven on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until sauce is warm; or reheat it in a small saucepan over low heat. Place a frozen piece of pie on a large serving plate and spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of the warm sauce directly over the top of the pie. Eat and enjoy immediately. Here is a link that might be useful: Matt Renalto and Renato Poliafito show how it's done

CHICAGO PEANUT BUTTER PIE 8-10 oz fudge cookies, ground fine 1/3 cup sugar 1 stick butter, softened 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened 1 cup chunky peanut butter 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1 cup heavy cream, whipped Preheat oven to 350°. combine the cookie crumbs, sugar & butter until well blended. Press the mxiture onto the bottom & up the sides of a 9" pie plate & bake 15 minutes. Cool. In a processor, combine teh cream cheese, peanut butter & confectioners' sugar. Process until almost smooth. Gently stir in the whipped cream & pour into the pie shell. Chill.~~One Magnificent Cookbook PEANUT BUTTER PIE WITH PRETZEL CRUST (MUST make ahead.) Pretzel Crust 3/4 cup finely crushed pretzels 3 TBL granulated sugar 6 TBL butter, melted Combine the pretzels, sugar & melted butter, mixing well. Press firmly onto the bottom & up the sides of a 9" pie plate. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.~~ Filling: 8 oz cream cheese 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 large container Cool Whip Mix the cream cheese, sugar & peanut butter together in a food processor. Fold in the Cool Whip. Pour into the cooled crust & chill 2-3 hours.~~Desserts